. >>> president obama says he wants the american people to have confidence in the check and balances in government surveillance programs. today, he rolls out new steps to make that happen. marlie hall reports for wjz from the white house. >> reporter: president obama uses the beginning of his 25th formal white house news conference to wade into the debate on government surveillance. >> given the history of abuse by governments, it's right to ask questions about surveillance. particularly as technology is reshaping every aspect of our lives. >> reporter: the president says he will appoint a panel of outside experts to tackle the big questions about the balance between national security and americans' privacy. and they'll consider how we can maintain the trust of the people. how we can make sure that there absolutely is no abuse in terms of how these surveillance technologies are used. >> reporter: panel will present its findings to the president in 60 days. and he will send recommendations to congress on ways to increase tranparency by the end of the year. >> reporter: nsa leaker edwa